The Magic Challenger
by AquaTitaniaMiyuki
Summary: Someone is stealing magic from mages all over Fiore. Who exactly is this man? And what happens when more than one of Fairy Tail's members have their magic taken from them? RoWen, NaLu, Gruvia and more to come.
1. Putting Out the Flames

**Welcome to **_**The Magic Challenger**_**! This story was based off the show Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I recommend you to check it out!**

**Lucky for you guys, I've planned about nine chapters ahead for this story so updating will not be a problem, unlike my other stories…T_T**

**Warnings: *Swearing**

***Violence (not really, but I'm just being safe than sorry)**

**Pairings: RoWen, NaLu, and most likely more as the story progresses.**

**I hope you enjoy this story!**

* * *

_**~THE MAGIC CHALLENGER~**_

_**PART I**_

13-year-old Romeo Conbolt trudged through the forest with a grin on his face. His mission had been a total success. Those thieves didn't even know what hit them! All it took was a few fire balls and it was over.

A fire was lit in his palm as a light in the dark forest to guide him home. He couldn't wait to tell Natsu-nii about his accomplishment! And maybe even Wendy. Would she be impressed?

To tell the truth, he had a small crush on the female Dragon Slayer. Ever since she and the others had come back from Tenrou Island, he had started noticing her more, and vice-versa.

'_It's probably 'cuz I got older.' _He thought, being only slightly grateful for the blank seven years they had gone through.

Waking him from his thoughts, Romeo heard shuffling in the trees above him. He dismissed it as the night winds and continued walking. Then there was another sound not too far from him. He began to quicken his pace. It wasn't until the third suspicious noise that he had the thought.

'_I should get outta here…what if someone's following me?'_

Thus, he put out his fire and began to run through the dim forest. Something wasn't right, and it was creeping him out. He wanted to get out of there ASAP.

And suddenly, his legs stopped. The teen was suspended into the air, his limbs slowly bending in painful ways.

"Wh-what the? !" he cried out in shock, "Let me go!"

A person flew down from one of the branches, landing skilfully on the ground. Even though their hood covered most of his head, and the darkness consumed him, Romeo could still tell that it was a man-A masked man.

"Who…" the fire mage struggled to speak, trying to gain control of his body, "Who are you? !"

'_How is he doing this? !'_

The man just stared with cold, silent eyes from the inside of his mask. Suddenly, Romeo was sent flying into a trees, and then into the ground several times. The said boy gasped and heavily coughed out dirt. Trickles of blood were starting to form everywhere on the boy's body.

"St…stop…! Damn…you!"

For the first time, the man spoke, "You are…Romeo Conbolt, a Rainbow Fire mage." He flicked his wrist, and the younger mage crumbled to the ground in front of him, his head tilted back to look upwards at the dark sky.

Romeo felt a surge of fear welling up from within him, and trembled. _'He knows who I am…What's he gonna do to me? !'_

The man placed a gloved hand on Romeo's forehead, causing the boy's eyes to widen.

For a moment, he couldn't breathe. His body felt numb, even when he fell to the hard ground. Finally, he felt drained, as if his strength had suddenly been sapped. And maybe it was, and he just didn't know it.

The last thing Romeo heard were those shuffling sounds before blacking out.

* * *

"Romeo!" A certain pink-haired Dragon Slayer yelled, recognizing the scent of his friend, "Romeo! Are you okay?"

Natsu knelt beside him, followed shortly by Lucy, Gray, Erza and Happy.

"He's bleeding!" Lucy cried, "Natsu, get the bandages!"

Erza frowned, "He's unconscious. But I don't think he's severely injured."

"We should stop the bleeding for now and bring him to the guild." Gray proclaimed.

Happy handed Natsu the medical kit they always carried around. Natsu growled, "Who did this to him?"

As soon as the wounds were wrapped up to prevent disinfection or blood loss, Natsu slowly placed Romeo on his back, like any big brother would do.

"Happy, carry my bag, okay?"

"Aye." Happy said, glancing concernedly at the boy on his partner's back.

Slowly, Team Natsu exited the forest and headed back to Magnolia, bewildered by what happened to Romeo.

* * *

As soon as the team entered the guild, everyone panicked. Wendy showed up in front of them immediately, knowing what to do. Macao took his son to the infirmary, never leaving his side.

"What happened to him?" Wakaba asked Natsu, who shook his head.

"We just found him like that."

"I…think he was attacked," Lucy says, "The injuries couldn't have been an accident."

"Plus, they were fresh," Erza commented, "The attack was in the East Forest."

"It's a good thing that we decided to go through the East Forest." Gray sighed.

"Gray, your clothes."

"Ack!"

Makarov lowered his head in thought before hopping off the bar counter and heading to the infirmary.

* * *

Hearing the door creak open, Macao turned to see the third and sixth Master there with a stern look.

"Master…do you know what happened to my son?" the father questioned worriedly.

Sensing the tension, Wendy-who had just finished the healing process-decided to leave the two men to talk.

"I'm afraid not. Natsu doesn't know either," he replied quietly, "Macao…I hate to tell you this, but…"

The other man bit his lip, "What is it…?"

"…I don't sense any magical power from Romeo."


	2. Consoling a Loss

_**PART II**_

In Fairy Tail's infirmary, Romeo awoke to sunlight shining through the window. He felt bandages wrapped around his head, arm, and shin. But there was something else besides those cuts and bruises. Something was wrong with him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He wasn't even up for a good twenty minutes before his father guided him to the Master's office. As they passed through the Guild, there were calls and greetings of joy directed at the teen, which he all responded to with a smile before he walked into Makarov's office.

Wendy frowned and turned to her cat partner, "He doesn't know yet?"

Charle shook her head, "I think that's why he's in the Master's office."

Wendy stared at the closed door in the corner of the guild in worry.

* * *

"Yo! How are you feeling, child?" the Third Master greeted cheerfully.

"Fine, Master."

"So, Romeo…" Makarov coughed, his expression changing, "Do you mind telling me what happened last night?"

The dark-haired teen nodded slowly, "I was walking home through the East Forest from the mission I took…then I was…ambushed by a man…wearing a mask…"

The memories flooded his mind, surprising him. He suddenly remembered everything from the previous night.

"He took control of my body somehow…he was moving my limbs in different directions…and rammed me into the ground and the trees," Romeo shuddered as the whole scene played in his head again while he explained it, "I couldn't fight him…I couldn't even move! He put his hand on my forehead…and he…"

He paused. What _did_ that man do?

Macao glanced at his son in worry, "And…?"

Quickly, the boy stood up and gave the Master a hard stare, "Do you…know what he did to me, Master?"

The old man sighed. He didn't want to tell the boy the terrible news until he recovered, but the look he was giving him meant that they weren't going to get out of telling him-whether he liked it or not.

Macao put a hand on Romeo's shoulder. He turned him so that they were looking at each other eye-to-eye. "Romeo…son…your magic has been taken away."

A look of disbelief washed over the boy, "That's impossible."

Macao shook his head, frowning deeply in the process, "That man…he took your magic. I'm sorry, Romeo…"

"It's not true!" he yanked his shoulder from his father's hand, "He couldn't have…!"

"Romeo..."

"It's impossible!"

Neither of the two men went after Romeo when he ran out of the office and into the guild hall.

"It was right to tell him." Makarov spoke.

"He's always been like that, especially when you guys were gone for seven years," the younger male explained, "It'll take time for him to realize that it's real."

The Third nodded, "He'll understand soon. He's changed more than you think, Macao."

* * *

Romeo ran out of the guild hall, ignoring everyone's cries and shouts. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he had to see for himself. His magic…it couldn't be gone. It was still inside him somewhere.

He would've gone to the Hargeon Port, but it didn't seem like an option at the moment, seeing that he was in Magnolia. He wasn't sure why, but ever since he went to that spot after Tenrou Team had disappeared, the sound of the waves and the smell of fresh sea comforted him. Maybe it was the water.

Then, it clicked, _'Water…the riverside…'_

* * *

Romeo trudged down the hill by the river. The sun was a bright orange, and it looked absolutely perfect reflected on the water's surface. He held his hand out in front of him with a determined glare.

'_This has to work…'_

He attempted to summon a purple flame. There was nothing.

He tried yellow next. Surely he would still have the stinky flame! Who would take_ that _away?

There was no stench. Romeo tried the other flames, to no avail.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, and tried each flame all over again.

After focusing on creating fire for so long, he finally collapsed in exhaustion.

"No…" he said to himself, glad that no one was around to hear him, "No! He…he didn't…"

The boy curled up into a ball, shutting his eyes to prevent the tears to come pouring out. He had worked hard for magic! He never missed a single class. He trained every day. He even studied about the origins of magic!

Romeo gasped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. But then he relaxed, feeling the familiar warmth radiating from the said hand.

"Natsu-nii…" he said.

The older mage (Could he even call himself one anymore? The thought of it made his vision blurry) sat down beside him, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked with such concern that Romeo barely ever saw.

The boy hid his face in his arms again, "No."

Natsu frowned, "I won't tell anyone."

That did it. He couldn't hide it anymore. Not from his brother.

"That man…! He took my magic, Natsu-nii!" Romeo broke down with wide, watery eyes, "He just…snuck up on me…and I couldn't do anything against him! I've never felt so powerless…never so _**afraid!**_"

Natsu patted his back gently, "No one would blame you for feeling scared. This hasn't ever happened to anyone. You're the first victim, Romeo…"

Without being able to hold it in anymore, the boy sobbed and let the tears fall onto his friend's shirt, "I…learned fire magic because…I just wanted…to be like you."

The Dragon Slayer felt a pang of sympathy for the younger boy, but shook his head, "Romeo, you don't need fire magic to be like me. You don't even have to try that hard either, actually…your dad told me that you've destroyed a few buildings over the years!"

His attempt to lighten the mood failed, as Romeo continued to sniffle and rub the tears away from his eyes. Instead, Romeo asked, "How can I be part of a Magician's Guild with no magic? !"

Natsu's head turned swiftly to face him, "You're still gonna be part of Fairy Tail no matter what. With or without magic. You're part of the family, Romeo. And we don't let go of family. You of all people should know that."

"Y-Yeah…" he spoke hoarsely, still trying to get rid of the tears.

The pink-haired gave him one of his signature grins, "Hey, no more tears. You still have to make up for those seven years with no smiles. So, smile!" he poked his little brother's cheek.

Romeo smiled a little, comforted by the thought that his doubts had vanished, and they would get his magic back somehow.

He would get through this.

* * *

Elsewhere, a Lamia Scale mage wandered through a rocky terrain, just coming back from a job.

Lyon sighed, _'Geez…I didn't get enough money as I thought I would. And I was hoping to buy a gift for Juvia…'_

He continued to mentally rant about the client's attitude and not getting the right amount of jewels until he heard an odd sound. The ice mage stopped for a moment and examined his surroundings before walking along.

Another sound was heard from behind him. Without wasting a second, Lyon threw an ice spear at the boulders near him and began to run.

After a few steps, he was pulled into the air. He gasped and dropped his bag to the ground below.

"What the hell?" he cried, "Come out, bastard! I know you're there!"

His arm bent so that it was behind his back and he yelled out in pain. The masked man walked out slowly from behind a few boulders. From behind the mask, his dark eyes gleamed in recognition.

"Lyon Bastia. An ice mage."

The said man tried to turn his head so he could see the attacker's face, but his body refused to listen, instead being twisted around in uncomfortable positions.

"Stop this! Nnngh! Put me down so we can fight fairly!" the white-haired man spat.

"Fairly…?" the masked man threw Lyon to the ground, bruising his knees from the impact, and placed a hand on his forehead.

Seeing this, Lyon tried making ice in his shaking hand, only to end up being kneed in the back. He coughed several times.

"Fairly…" the attacker repeated, "Mages like you don't fight fairly."

The ice wizard glared up at the man before falling face first into the cold gravelly ground.


	3. Visiting From Lamia Scale

**Hello, everyone! First, I would like to say to all those people who reviewed, faved and alerted this story so far a big thank you!**

**Secondly, I welcome you to the third chapter of **_**The Magic Challenger**_**.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_**PART III**_

Wendy smiled softly at the boy sitting by her chatting with Mirajane, "Feeling better, Romeo-san?"

"Yeah, thanks for healing me, Wendy," Romeo replied, turning to face her, "And you can drop the '-san'. I'm technically younger than you, remember?"

Wendy blinked, "That's right. But I can't use '-kun' either! Right now, you're older than me!"

"I don't see what the problem is," the former fire mage says, "Just don't use the honorifics then."

"Alright…Romeo." It felt odd not using honorifics, Wendy mused. The only person she didn't use honorifics with was Charle.

It was at that moment that the doors opened, gaining the Fairy Tail members' attention.

"Lamia Scale?" Lucy said in surprise.

"Who else would we be? !" Toby cried out.

Yuka sighed, "Be polite, Toby."

Suddenly, they were sent coughing when a trail of dust blew in their faces.

"_Juvia-chaaaaaan~!"_

The water mage 'eeeps' as Lyon held her by the shoulders and gave her a longing stare.

"Juvia-chan, it's been far too long!"

She laughs nervously, "B-but…Juvia and Lyon-san saw each other at the Grand Magic Games…"

"Three weeks is a very long time," Lyon mentions, "One more day, and I would have went into withdrawal!"

"Oi…" Gray deadpans.

"Jura…" Master Makarov finally speaks, "What brings you all here?"

"Well...we came to discuss about," Jura replies, "The man stealing magic all over Fiore."

Romeo froze and turns to listen to the rock mage.

"Ah…as you can see from the injuries…one of us has been attacked." The bald man turns to Lyon, who frowns.

Gray's eyes widened, finally haven taken notice of the bandages wrapped around his friend's head and hands.

"Lyon…your magic…"

"Gone," the elder pupil states simply, causing the younger to gawk, "That bastard took it!"

"No way…"

"Unforgivable…taking what Ul gave to me…" Lyon clenched his fists and glared hard at the wooden floor.

Makarov sighs, "So it's not just Fairy Tail he's after." He says in relief. For once, there was a problem that wasn't _only_ threatening _them_.

"You didn't know?" Sherry pouts, "Here, take a look at the newspaper, Makarov-san."

The Master of Fairy Tail opens the article and reads it over.

* * *

**VICTIMS OF ASSAULT**

_According to all of the current mage victims, a certain mask-wearing man has snuck up on them and has taken away their magic completely. It is neither unclear whether the effect from the man's mysterious power is permanent, nor does anyone know the man's true identity yet. There have been a total of six victims in the duration of about two days._

_**Romeo Conbolt, 13, Fairy Tail**_

_**Lyon Bastia, 25, Lamia Scale**_

_**Clair Lovemont, 14, Blue Pegasus**_

_**Oberon Torerra, 13, Blue Pegasus**_

_**Jalber Corrain, 20, Independent Mage**_

_**Tsumi Agleen, 26, Mermaid Heel**_

* * *

"This isn't good." Makarov says with a deep frown.

"We know…it's the total opposite of love." The pink-haired woman shook her head.

"Now, before we talk about this scoundrel," Jura announces, "We came here to ask for a favour."

"A favour?" Erza repeats, "From who?"

"From Wendy-dono."

"Eh?" The Sky Maiden questions, "What do you need from me?"

Sherry spoke up, "While we were thinking of a cure for Lyon-sama's magic, we instantly thought of you!"

"That's right…" Lucy said in awe, "Maybe Wendy can get Lyon's and Romeo's magic back!"

"…What about Chelia? Couldn't she have done the same thing?" the Dragon Slayer wonders, remembering her only fellow healing mage in Fiore.

Yuka answered, "Her powers didn't work. But we were hoping that maybe a Dragon Slayer's powers are somewhat different from a God Slayer's, and that you could help us out."

"Of course!" Wendy replied confidently, and stood in front of Lyon. She stretched her hands out over the ice mage's chest and closed her eyes.

"I'm going to try and reverse the effects of that man's spell."

Both guilds watched as a blue light emanated from the girl's hands and poured into Lyon's body. For what seemed like a few hours, Wendy's arms finally dropped.

"I can't do it…" she says sadly, and averts her gaze to the floor, "There's a lock on the spell that I just can't break. I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Lyon says as he holds up a hand, "There's nothing we can do about it."

"I'll try healing Romeo next. Maybe something will happen if I try it on a different type of mage."

"Don't, Wendy," Romeo stops her, "Save your magic for something else. That man did the exact same thing to the both of us, so I don't think the outcome'll be any different."

"But-"

He shakes his head, "It'll be fine, we'll just think of something else."

Wendy thinks for a moment, "Perhaps…Porlyusica-san can do something?"

Jura raises an eyebrow, "Was that your Medical Advisor at the Games?"

The girl nods, "She's the one who helped heal everyone on our team."

"Amazing…" Toby was awed. No wonder all of them were fine after each breathtaking event!

"Yes, she has many things up her sleeve," Makarov approved, "She'll help us."

"I'll go ask her." Erza proclaimed, and headed out of the guild.

The Third Master sighed, "Now then…Lyon, I would like to discuss the attack with you. If you don't mind, that is."

"Not at all, Master Makarov."

The two of them entered the office and closed the door. Fairy Tail resumed their earlier activities before Lamia Scale had entered. Team Lyon themselves took a seat at a table.

"I still can't believe he got Lyon of all people…" Gray furrowed his brow.

"I know…it's pretty unbelievable, isn't it?" Yuka nodded, "Especially from someone as careful as Lyon."

"I'm starting to get worried…there've been six victims in two days!" Lucy proclaimed while holding the newspaper, "What if he's in Magnolia hunting mages right now? How am I supposed to get home tonight?"

Natsu perks up, "I'll just have to protect you then."

Lucy blushes, "R-really now…"

"Yeah…" he turns away and scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, "I promise."

"Now THAT'S love!" Sherry clasps her hands together in joy.

"N-no it's not!"

The rest of Lamia Scale, along with Gray and some Fairy Tail mages laugh at the scene.

Wendy, having overheard the conversation with her enhanced hearing, giggles behind her hand.

"What's so funny?" Romeo asks her in curiousity.

"Natsu-san and Lucy-san," she answers, "They're acting _tsundere_. It's cute!"

Romeo stares at her, wondering where she had learned that word from, and silently praying that Wendy wouldn't become a devious matchmaker like a certain barmaid he knew.

* * *

**A/N: Tsundere-A Japanese term that basically means that a person won't admit being in love with somebody. Like Charle towards Happy, for example.**

**Thank you for reading part 3! Review please!**


	4. Reuniting with a Former Fellow Student

**Hello, minna! Once again, I'd like to thank you for reviewing! **

**Oh, and also…I'll be introducing two OCs in this chapter! But don't worry, it's not gonna be like in other stories where the focus ends up being all around the OCs. Trust me, one OC will only appear in about four or five chapters with a small role. And the other? She'll only be in this chapter!**

**Arigatou gozaimasu! And enjoy!~**

* * *

_**PART IV**_

The sound of clacking heels echoed throughout the large hall.

"I have arrived, Org-sama." A man kneeledwith his right hand over the left side of his chest in front of another man seated in a chair above him.

"Good. I need you to assemble your division for an investigation."

"An investigation…of what, sir?"

Org replied, "You've heard of the man taking magic away from various mages, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"As an order from Guran Doma-sama, I need you to capture that man and bring him into custody."

The man nodded and stood up, "I'll assemble the Rune Knights right now."

"He seems to be causing a disturbance," Org mentions, "It is our duty to eliminate him and restore peace in Fiore."

"I understand."

* * *

Two figures walked towards Fairy Tail. One of them-a girl-had wavy blonde hair. The other-a boy-also had blonde hair reaching a little past his ears. He wore a simple white shirt with a brown vest on top with a pegasus imprinted on it, along with a red scout scarf with blue trousers, and finally, a pair of black boots.

The girl pushed the door open to see a brawl taking place. No one seemed to have notice them open the door.

"Well…this is interesting…" the girl noted with a sweatdrop at the side of her head, "Ichiya-san was right about saying these guys were once very outgoing before their members disappeared…"

"Uh-huh," the boy said while observing the scene, "So this is what his guild is like…"

"Take that, Gray!"

"Get off of me, Gajeel! You're freakin' heavy!"

*SMASH!*

"What was that for, you-!"

A white-haired woman at the bar smiled before turning to look at the open doors, "Oh! Looks like we have visitors!"

"Stay out of this! This is my fight!"

"NO WAY, MAN!"

*SMACK!*

"Ice Prick!"

"Flame Brain!"

*CRASH!*

"Gahh! You stepped on my foot!"

"HEY!" a white-haired, extremely buff man yelled, silencing the room, "Nee-chan said that we have visitors."

All heads turned to the door in curiosity.

"Hello…" the girl spoke, still a little bewildered by what just happened, "We're from Blue Pegasus and we're here to ask for a favour…"

"Master Bob sent us here." The boy added on.

Romeo cocked his head to the side, "Oberon?"

Familiarity flooded through the said blonde boy's eyes as he ran up to Romeo, "There you are! It's been forever!"

A smile slowly appeared on the Fairy Tail mage's face, "It _is_ you!"

"Whoa," Oberon gasped, "Romeo, you're smiling! Oh my god!"

"Cut it out," he waved his hand dismissively, "It's not a big deal…"

"Yes it is! I've never seen you smile before!"

The members of Fairy Tail, who were watching the whole conversation, kept on staring in confusion.

"You two know each other?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah," Romeo answered, and leaned in to make sure his father didn't hear, "He used to go to Totomaru-sensei's class."

"I don't study fire magic anymore, I'm an Urumi* mage now," Oberon announced.

Gray perked up, "Urumi? That sounds familiar…"

The blonde turned to Romeo, "I would show you what I can do, but…my magic's been taken."

"You too?" he gawked.

"That's why we're here," the girl, still at the door spoke, "Did you forget to tell me you knew someone here, Oberon?"

"Oops…sorry, Clair."

"Clair Lovemont and Oberon Torrerra, was it?" Makarov uttered, "You're two of the six victims in the paper, right?"

"That's right," Clair stated, "Can we talk to Wendy?"

"Oh," the mentioned Dragon Slayer piped up, "Do you want me to somehow get your magic back?"

"Yes, please."

"I'm sorry…but I don't have a way to do that…" Wendy frowned.

"A few mages from Lamia Scale came here with the same request," Lisanna told them and pointed to a table in the corner, "In fact, they're sitting right over there."

"Yo." Toby greeted.

"We're waiting for their Medical Advisor to see if she has a cure." Yuka informed them.

"No need to wait any longer. I'm already here."

They all turned to see the pink-haired old woman standing at the door with a bottled concoction in her hand.

"Porlyusica-san has attempted to create a potion to help all the victims," says Erza before glancing around the room, "Do we have more visitors?"

"Yep. Just two," Levy replies, "They're also victims."

Erza turns to Porlyusica, "Is there enough for four?"

"I have enough potion for ten." She curtly tells her.

The old woman pours the dark pink liquid into four cups before turning to face the many eyes of the Fairy Tail guild.

"Would you quit staring at me already? !" she yells, "This is why humans are so troublesome…"

She walks through a clear path made for her by the guild members pushing each other around, at the door, she turns back in the direction of the four cups in annoyance, "What are you waiting for? Drink up. Although, I can't guarantee it will work."

Porlyusica exited the building without another word.

Clair, Lyon, Romeo and Oberon dashed up to the counter where the cups were set and poured it down their throats.

"So?" Mirajane spoke, "How do you all feel?"

"I don't…feel any different," Clair mentioned, "Do you?"

She was met with three negatives.

Makarov sighed, "Well…she tried her best."

"Then that's that," Sherry stood up, "We'll be going now, Fairy Tail."

Gildarts rubbed the back of his neck, "You guys came all the way here from your guild and didn't get much. Please, stay and drink with us!"

"No, it's alright," Jura holds up a hand, "Our guild isn't that far from yours anyway. And Master Ooba won't be very happy if we take more time than we need to."

"If you say so…"

Lyon grabbed Juvia's hands, "Separated once again, my dear Juvia…how horrible fate must be!"

He leaned forward to kiss her hand, but was yanked away by the collar.

"Okay, hotshot…that's enough for one day." Gray told him as he literally threw the elder student out of the guild.

"WE SHALL MEET AGAIN, JUVIAAAA!"

"Lyon, if you don't hurry up, we're leaving you behind!"

"THAT'S JUST FINE WITH-WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SHERRY?"

"I know it's love, Lyon-sama, but we have to go!"

"Say hello to Chelia for me!" Wendy waved at them.

"Geez, they're annoying…" Gray muttered.

"I guess I'll be going too." Clair said.

"See you later then." Oberon told her with a grin.

Romeo raised an eyebrow, "You're not going with her?"

"And leave after not seeing my best friend for three years? Yeah right!"

This brought a grin to the Fairy Tail mage's face.

Lucy blinked, "But you're letting her go home by herself at night…and Blue Pegasus is really far from here."

"What do you mean? We came here on Christina."

Fairy Tail rushed to look out the windows, and indeed, they saw the giant sky steed behind the trees.

"How did we not see that? !" the Celestial mage shouted in disbelief.

"And we didn't hear it either? !" Nab and Warren cried, remembering when they felt the rumble from the giant Pegasus back when they delivered the news of Tenrou Island's existence.

Oberon chuckled, "I guess Ichiya's landing skills have gotten better."

"I-I-Ichiya's here?" Erza sputtered, and shielded her strawberry cake.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

* * *

**A/N: Here's Oberon's guild card:**

**Name: Oberon Torrerra**

**Guild: Blue Pegasus**

**Age: 13**

**Magic: Urumi**

**Likes: His cousin (Eve)**

**Dislikes: Bullies**

***Urumi is the name of the magic Rayule from the Lullaby arc used. It uses the manipulation of black bands circling all of the user's fingers. It can produce extendable, flat cables, which can greatly be extended in length, and which can be manipulated by the user. This comes in useful both in battle, where the cables can be used to strike with enough strength to shatter rock, and also enabling the user to cling on various things from the surrounding environment to reach otherwise unreachable heights, to let themself down slowly from the very same heights, and to move around freely.**

**And there you go! **

**Thank you for reading, and don't forget to review!~**


	5. Defending the Defenseless

**Hey, has anyone noticed how I name the chapters of this story?**

**Gajeel: Shut it, Author! No one cares how you name your chapters!**

**Me: T.T Okay, Gajeel…just for that, you're not gonna appear in this chapter!**

**Gajeel: What? !**

**Me: Just kidding. You weren't planned to appear in this chapter in the first place.**

**Gajeel: HEY!**

* * *

_**PART V**_

_The next morning…_

"So you'll be staying in Magnolia for a while?" Romeo asks his friend as they walk towards Fairy Tail.

"Yeah," Oberon says, "Things have been pretty slow at Blue Pegasus after the Games, and I didn't get to see you during the tournament like I wanted to."

"I see…that's good."

As soon as Romeo pushed open the doors to his guild, both boys were greeted by the few people present. It was only nine in the morning, so the usual noisemakers (Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, etc.) hadn't arrived yet.

"Whaddya mean you can't do anything? !"

Romeo looked around the hall, only stopping when he saw Wendy by the request board surrounded by five strangers. Warren was also there, and he looked like he was trying to calm down one of the three men.

"I…I really don't…" Wendy sputtered to the woman that questioned her.

"Impossible!"

A man cried out, "I've heard that you could heal just about anything! So why not our magic?"

"Hey, hey!" Warren held the man back, seeing that he was dangerously taking a few steps towards the young Dragon Slayer, "You're not touching her."

"There must be _something_ you can do!"

"I-I'm sorry," Wendy quietly told them, "I've tried to help other victims like yourselves and it didn't work…"

"I ain't buying this! I came all the way from Shirotsume!" one of the men growled, "I bet you just don't wanna use your special little magic on us 'cuz it'll just waste your time!"

"That's ridiculous!" Max intervened, "More of her time is being wasted from you people arguing with her!"

"She's one of the only two healing mages in Fiore!" a woman yelled.

"Yeah! The brat should know how to help us!"

"_Hey!" _the thirteen-year-old fire mage got in between the group of victims and the Dragon Slayer, "Wendy already told you that she has no way of fixing it! I'm also a victim of that man, but you don't see me complaining to her about something she can't fix!"

"Romeo…" Wendy whispered in awe.

"And if you're insulting her on top of that…then get outta here!" Romeo told them whilst pointing at the doors, "The one thing that Fairy Tail hates the most is people who insult their nakama!"

All five scowled, seeing every member in the room stare at them with eyes that only hawks would possess.

"We'll…be going." One of the women gritted her teeth.

They headed out the doors with unsatisfied looks, but refused to press the situation any longer. Who would want a fight with the infamous Fairy Tail Guild? They'd all seen how terrifying they could be from the Grand Magic Games.

Everyone watched the five victims leave before breaking out into cheers.

"They're gone!"

"Cowards! Picking on Wendy-chan like that!"

"Wise words, son." Macao praised, ruffling the boy's hair, "For a second I thought Natsu was the one speaking!"

Romeo grinned sheepishly, "Really, Dad…"

"Wow, man," Oberon spoke, "You were all like 'Get outta here!' and 'The one thing that Fairy Tail hates the most is people who insult their nakama!' Pretty cool if ya ask me."

"Well…it comes from experience, I guess…"

"Romeo…" Wendy came up to him with a smile, "Thank you for that…"

The flame mage returned the grin, "No problem. If they know that you're one of the only two healing mages in Fiore, they should be treating you better."

The Sky Maiden frowns, "Chelia must be having a hard time too, then…"

"She's probably fine," the boy replies, "Chelia has her friends to help her too."

"You're right. Thank you."

"Like I said, no problem."

Wendy walked to the bar to get a drink from Mirajane, leaving the two boys.

"You're pretty protective of her, eh?" Oberon nudged him.

Romeo looked away with pink tinting his cheeks, "I'm protective of all my friends."

"Whatever you say, _Romeo_."

The dark-haired made a long sigh. Why did his name have to be the same as the guy in an old romance novel his mother just so happened to love?

Oh right.

His birthday was on February 14th.

Valentine's Day.

Haha.

_Reeeaaal_ funny.

* * *

"I found something!"

A few other Rune Knights who were inspecting the area crowded him to see what he had found.

"Let me see, Mitsu."

The said knight saluted, holding out the tiny item, "Y-yes, Doranbalt-san!"

Doranbalt took it into his own hands, inspecting it. "This looks like…a piece of cloth."

A knight stepped forward, "Sir, didn't the male victim from Shirotsume say that the man had a cape?"

"Right. It seems like this is a torn piece of his cape," the commander proclaimed, "There must have been an encounter here not too long ago."

He handed it to one of the knights, who placed it inside a jar.

"Let's keep moving. Maybe he's not too far from here."

"Yes, sir!" All the knights saluted at once.

* * *

_That evening, Erza strolled out of the cake shop, holding a piece of cake in her hands. She was delighted. Cake was something that she-and the guild members-loved. Why did Fairy Tail love it, you ask? Because it was a great distraction to get the Titania off their backs whenever something got out of hand._

_Which was exactly what happened today._

_Taking another bite of her cake, the female knight stepped into an alleyway, but then stopped, swallowing her cake at the same time._

'_What is this feeling? It feels like a large amount of magic power…'_

_She held her breath, waiting for a sign of anything out of the ordinary._

'_Could it be…?'_

_There was a shuffling sound from above her._

_She quickly drew a sword out and swung it above her head, dropping her cake in the process. The cloaked attacker revealed himself, landing on his feet._

"_Requip mage, Erza Scarlet," the ambusher noted, "I wonder how Fairy Tail would react if I took the magic of their great Fairy Queen?"_

"_You fiend!" Erza yelled, swinging her sword again, "Why have you been stealing magic from mages across Fiore? !"_

_The masked man didn't answer, dodging the attacks at a speed Erza didn't know he had._

"_You're fast." she said simply._

"_It's part of who I am." The man replied, eyes glinting through the slits on his mask._

_Titania narrowed her eyes, "But you're not fast enough!"_

_Barely having a moment to dodge, the sword swiped through the side of his hood, ripping it, and revealing wild black hair. The attacker held the side of his blood-dripping head with a hiss._

_He growled, and leaped atop of some garbage bins and over the brick fence._

"_Come back here!" Erza called out, jumping on the same garbage bins. She peered over the wall and cursed._

_He was gone._

_She gritted her teeth in frustration whilst landing back on the ground._

"_He even made me drop my cake…"_

* * *

"That's what happened."

"I see…" Makarov stroked his chin, "It's a good thing your magic wasn't stolen."

Erza nodded, "But he was fast, and I sensed a large amount of magic power from him. Although, I'm not sure why he didn't use any of it on me."

"You injured him, correct?"

"Yes. His hood was ripped and I saw some messy black hair and part of his mask that was covered before."

"Okay, I'm going to have to send this to the council tomorrow," the Master says while finishing his notes, "Good job, Erza."

"Thank you, Master," she lowered her head respectfully, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Rest," Makarov told her, "It's already late and everybody's already wasted themselves, like usual."

"Alright."

Before she walked out of the office, the Third/Sixth Master chuckled.

"Maybe before you go, can you kick out all those idiots for me?"

Erza smirked, "It would be my pleasure, Master."


	6. Marking an Attacker

**Sorry if you were expecting a regular update or something…I can't really do that…**

**This chapter is pretty short but next chapter will be longer, I promise!**

* * *

_**PART VI**_

_The next evening…_

"The Magic Challenger, huh…"

"Hm?" Mirajane perked up from behind the counter, "What was that, Master?"

He didn't look up from his newspaper, "That's what everyone is calling him. For challenging mages and taking their magic. He also seems to have a bounty now."

"Oh? For how much?" Lisanna questioned.

"80,000 Jewel."

"80,000? !" Lucy exclaimed, "That's more than my rent!"

"Have there been any new victims, Master?" Erza inquired with a stern look.

"Unfortunately, there has," Makarov says, "I don't know how he can move so diligently even after getting attacked by you…"

"That's crazy," Gray joined the conversation, "Someone who's able to move after being attacked by Erza? It's…_crazy_."

"I wanna fight him!" Natsu declared.

As they chattered on, Oberon nudged Romeo's arm.

"You should escort Wendy home."

Romeo blinked, "Huh? Why?"

The Pegasus mage looked over at Wendy, who was seated quietly at a bench without Charle for once. "She's probably scared that The Challenger will take her magic away while going home tonight."

"Can't you take her home?"

"I've only known her for, what, two days? Would she be calmer with me or you?"

The Fairy Tail mage sighed, "Fine. You win. I'll take her home."

"That's good to hear.~" Oberon said in a sing-song voice.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Romeo looked up at the request board in deep thought.

"You finally going out, Romeo?" Nab asked him with a hearty grin.

The dark-haired boy grinned back, "You should start too."

Finally, he picked one and decided to show the Master, since Mira didn't seem to be at the bar.

"Your first mission since the incident," Master read the flyer, approving it with a stamp, "But you'll have to take someone this time."

Romeo frowned, "Who? I can't take Oberon 'cuz he's not in our guild, right?"

"That's correct," Makarov nodded whilst looking around the room, "But you_ can_ take…Natsu! Wendy!"

"Yes?"

"What's up, Gramps?"

"Go with Romeo on a mission."

Natsu smiled, "Sure!"

Wendy also smiled, "Let's go then."

Romeo grinned at the two Dragon Slayers. He never had the chance to go on a mission with Natsu before the Grand Magic Games. Plus, Wendy was coming with them, and that was a big bonus in his opinion.

The trio headed out the doors.

"If you males do anything to Wendy, I'll make sure you regret it!" Charle screeched while shaking her fist-er, I mean, paw.

Natsu waved her off, "She'll be fine!"

Wendy turned back, "Happy, be sure to take care of Charle!"

Happy, who had been standing nearby the white Exceed, saluted.

* * *

Inside the building, Makarov sighed, alerting the white-haired barmaid.

"Is something wrong, Master?"

He didn't respond, but instead stood up on the bar countertop, "Everyone!"

Every member paused what they were doing and turned to listen to the short man.

"Keep your guards up! Watch out for The Magic Challenger!" he said, "He may appear at any time with the one-and-only Sky Maiden out there!"

"What do we do, Master?" Alzack raised his hand.

"Every guild is on standby," he replied, "Sending out three of our mages may alert him, and when we get the chance we will strike!"

With the roars and cheers resounding through the room, Makarov sat down.

Mirajane stared at him with worried blue eyes, "Master…sending out those three will put them in danger…and Romeo-kun doesn't even have magic…"

"They'll be fine," the Third Master reassured, "The Challenger will become attracted to us once he learns about Wendy and the rest of our members. It's a risky price, but eventually he'll fall into our trap."

"Trap…? Master, what-"

Mira's sentence faded when she saw that Makarov was no longer on the countertop.


	7. Going on a Job

**Sorry for the delay, everyone…*rubs neck awkwardly* I've sort of been on a…hiatus, you could call it. But now I'm back with the next chapter of **_**The Magic Challenger**_**!**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

_**PART VII**_

The train was quiet aside from the train tracks and Natsu groaning. Romeo and Wendy sat beside each other, whilst Natsu lay on the floor where he had collapsed earlier.

"Not a lot of people, huh?" Romeo said jokingly, glancing around the empty train cart.

Wendy didn't say anything. For a second, the boy thought he said something wrong, before Wendy decided to speak up.

"Romeo…what was it like? Being attacked by the Magic Challenger…"

At first, he was taken aback by the question.

'_She must be worried.'_ Romeo realized,_ 'Time for some reassurance.'_

"I'll be honest with you, Wendy-he scared me. A lot," he said, as he clenched his fists, "But if he shows up, he'll have to go through me-with or without magic.

The Sky Dragon Slayer perked up, "How will you fight, anyway?

He reached down under his seat to take out a long iron pipe. "This, remember?"

"Oh…right."

Romeo frowned. She must have been _really_ concerned if she didn't notice that giant piece of junk.

He smiled, "Don't you worry. I'll…I-I mean…me and Natsu-nii will protect you, Wendy."

"Th-thanks." Wendy blushed as she averted her gaze to the window. It was then that she noticed that they had arrived.

"We're here, Natsu-san! Wake up!" she shook the other Dragon Slayer.

"FINALLY!" he sprung to life as the train came to a stop.

* * *

"Sir, please help! My little girl is gone!"

Doranbalt froze in his tracks, turning to the woman who called out to him.

"Ma'am, your daughter is missing?"

"She went out to play with the other children in town before someone said she went to the forest! And with that man stealing magic out there…"

His eyes widened, "Your daughter's a mage?"

"Yes!" she cried in distress.

Doranbalt turned to his troops, "Head towards the forest, quickly!"

* * *

"Phew! Another completed mission!" Natsu grinned, placing his arms behind his head, "Go, Team Rainbow Dragon!"

Wendy giggled at their 'team' name, "Good job not destroying anything this time, Natsu-san!"

"Well, except that door," Romeo mentioned, remembering how Natsu kicked their client's door down once they were finished, "I'm glad they didn't lower the reward. They were nice."

"Yeah," Wendy agreed, but suddenly gasped, "What's that? !"

The two males followed her finger, to see a small girl on the ground.

They ran up to her immediately, Natsu cradling her carefully, "Hey, you alright?"

Her blue eyes slowly cracked open, "Who…"

"Don't worry. I'm going to heal you, okay?" Wendy said softly at the same time she put her hands out.

A light blue glow enveloped the little girl.

Romeo crouched down to her level, "Are you from the town outside the forest?" he asked softly.

The girl just nodded as she closed her eyes, leaning into Natsu's torso.

The dark-haired boy smiled sadly at the now sleeping girl, "I bet she got her magic taken in this forest…"

Natsu nodded, "Yeah. I ain't sensing any magic from her."

"It's finished," Wendy told the two males, "Luckily, her injuries aren't too severe. We should probably take her home."

"Good call."

* * *

Doranbalt sighed heavily before knocking on the woman's door. How was he going to tell her…

The door opened, "Oh, you're back!"

He sighed again at her happy face, "Ma'am, we couldn't-"

"Mom!"

A little girl covered in bandages ran up to her mother, to the Councilman's surprise.

"Dear, you shouldn't be up just yet!" the woman scolded, "Now, be a good girl and go back to bed."

As the mother turned back to Doranbalt, he suddenly asked, "Was that…your daughter?"

The woman laughed lightly, "Yes. Thank you so much for your help, sir, but earlier today, three Fairy Tail mages brought her home."

The man smiled warmly as he shook the mother's hand, before walking towards his troops.

"Alright, men! It's time to move out!"

"Yes sir!" they saluted.

The Council Investigation Team leader walked tall in the front of the group. _'Three Fairy Tail mages…I should've known. That Guild is everywhere nowadays. And with the girl's good condition…could it have been Wendy?'_

He looked up at the starry sky with a thoughtful expression.

'_Perhaps I'll never know.'_

* * *

A harsh wind blew the trees of the forest back and forth. The moon shone brightly in the midnight sky, almost looking serene. Underneath the same sky, in the harmony of swaying trees, was a man in a silver mask.

He had but one thought on his mind:

A light blue glow enveloping the body of a little girl.


End file.
